Subterfuge
by HellsGate969
Summary: A one-shot inspired by the music of a song. Seto and Mokuba are out of town for a business meeting when Joey is attacked in their home.


I don't own YU-GH-IO, just my imagination.

I came upon this one-shot while listening to Muse-Uprising.

Listen to this song if you want to get the full effect.

…...

"I wish I could go with you," mumbled Joey Wheeler as his boyfriend for the past 2 years, Seto Kaiba, held him tight.

"Me too, pup but you know it's impossible. Your last final is on Thursday and you can't handle distractions at such a crucial time," answered Kaiba with his usual voice of reason.

"You know most boyfriends want to have a hot, steamy vacation with their lovers," pouted Joey.

Seto chuckled as he tightened his arms around the puppy and placed a chaste kiss across his neck. "Well, it's a good thing then, that this is just a conference and there is only Mokuba coming along. We wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea now would we?" Amusement colored his tone as he nibbled on Joey's neck, his large hands moving to his puppy's ass, drawing out a surprised yelp.

"Jerk," moaned Joey as those hands begin to knead pliant skin and soft yet hard lips claimed his own tender and bruised ones from the night before. Passion flared between the two as they clung to each other, mewl and pants escaping the younger blonde as Kaiba took full control of the kiss and pushed Joey against the banister.

Seto was leaving Japan for a two-day conference to New York City. The original plan included both Mokuba and Joey so they would be able to enjoy the sights and have a mini-vacation. Unfortunately due to some odd circumstances, Joey literature final was postponed and he was stuck in Japan. Seto had considered not going or at least leaving Mokuba behind to keep Joey company. However the meeting was important for Kaiba Empire and Joey had flat out refused to "ruin" Mokuba's vacation too. "He's really been looking forward to spending some time with you," said Joey when delivering the bad news about his final, "This will give you both some bonding time, so take him with you."

So there they were, 10:00 clock on a Tuesday morning, saying their goodbyes. Well, trying to say goodbye thought Joey as Seto placed another kiss against his moist lips. "Hey, you guys. Common, I have been waiting in the limo for the past twenty minutes. Seto we will be back by Friday, you can make out to your heart content then," a loud shout startled them apart as Mokuba, eyes burning with excitement, exclaimed loudly.

Releasing his puppy with another sign, Kaiba placed a small kiss on his forehead and whispered goodbye.

…...

"Are we finally done, please ni-chan it's over, right," pleaded Mokuba. The last two days had been nice but also quite boring without Jou. He and ni-chan did spend a lot of time together which was all great but without Jou there seem to be something lacking in the enjoyment. He had decided to sit in on the last conference for the day since both Kaibas wanted to leave for the airport as soon as the meeting ended. Suffice to say they were both ready to go home.

"Just give me a minute to look over these papers before I sign it, unless you want a re-peat of the last two hours," a sarcastic yet tired Kaiba responded. Seto was more than ready to go home, talking with Joey on the phone was not just enough anymore. This has been the longest that they have been apart since they started dating and Seto was worried for every second of the day he was not there with Joey.

Seto Kaiba had enemies, more than he could count, it was impossible to not have any with Kaiba Empire increasing every day. Even now, with this conference, he would be acquiring more work, more money and many more vengeful opponents. That was also one of the reasons he was reluctant in leaving Joey behind. Their relationship was public knowledge and god knows how many threats have already compiled against him with the rest of the hate mail for the Kaiba's on the desk of their Chief Security Roland's office. Roland had assured Kaiba that Joey will be accounted for every day and he, personally himself, will be shadowing him for the two days that Seto and Mokuba were away.

Stamping down another sigh, Seto finished reading the preposition and signed it with a sense of relief. "Get your bag, Mokuba. It's time to go home".

Mokuba let out a gleeful cheer and begin to move toward the door with Seto by his side. At that exact moment, when both Kaibas had almost reached the door, the projection screen, used for a previous meeting, mysteriously turned itself on. Seto and Mokuba gazed upon the screen with slight confusion which soon turned into dread as a pixilated image begin to assemble upon it.

A live feed begin to play as they stood there, frozen in terror, by the happenings that were playing in front of their eyes.

…...

Joe didn't know how it happened or when it happened. All he remembered was sitting on the kitchen stool, eating a turkey sandwich as Roland stood by his side talking about how glad he was that everything was finally over, when suddenly he found himself on the floor, face down, covered by Roland's body and grasping for a single breath. Glass littered around them as rapids gunshots were fired across the same window that Joey was just facing a minute ago.

_I…can't...breathe_ thought Joe as panic begin to take over when he felt something sticky and warm hit his cheek. Before he could even think about touching the mysterious substance, his left arm was seized by Roland and he was forced upward toward the mayhem.

Blood, shouts and more gunfire surrounded Joey as he found himself being dragged from the kitchen to the main drawing room. Roland led him behind the banister as more guards begin to emerge, half aware of the happenings around him Joe stood there in a daze as security planned to get him out of there safely.

_Get a hold of yourself Wheeler,_ Joey thought as the panic begin to leave and his body's fight and flight system kicked in. _Stop acting like a sissy, two-years with Kaiba has not softened you that much that you can't fight._ Of-course following this determined state of mind was also a sense of fear as Joey finally begin to get his bearings. The kitchen and drawing room was a complete mess, the ceiling-to-floor widows were completely shattered leaving the interior of the house exposed to the elements outside. The sticky thing turned out to be blood, whose he could not tell, as he found a vicious cut adoring both his and Roland's forehead. As if happy to be acknowledged, the same wound begin to sting horribly as Joey found smaller and less harmful scratches littering his body.

Joey jumped as a hand touched his shoulder. "Sorry, Mr. Wheeler I did not mean to startle you but we have to leave now. The police has been already contacted and they would be here shortly but until then it would be best if you stick close and cooperate with our directions," Roland's steady voice calmed Joey as he quickly nodded his understanding. The mansion was dead silent and Joey was completely encompassed in a circle of bodyguards as they slowly begin to move toward the front door. Glass crunching under their feet, hands waving their guns from side to side and eyes watchful and alert. Between all this walked an unsteady Joey, shaking slightly from the tension and fear that thickened the air.

They had just made it half-way when all hell broke loose.

Three men emerging from nowhere, dressed from head to toe in black, begin to fire rapidly at their tight knit circle. Joey slammed his hands against his ears, squeezed his eyes shut and crouched close to the floor as per instructed earlier. However that did not help hide against the reality as one by one the men around him begin to fall. His eyes opening on their own account, watched in horror as the circle became smaller and smaller, leaving behind 2 guards, a hurt Roland and a very terrified Joey Wheeler. While only one assassin was down, the other two very much alive and smug in their victory.

_This is it_, thought Joey _Oh god, Seto…Seto. _Joey found himself whimpering quietly as the two assailants begin to slowly make their way towards them.

"Hand him over and we might just let you live. There is no reason for anyone else to get hurt," a cold and deadly voice whispered as Joey's face paled even more. Not a sound could be heard as both sides let the importance of those words sink in.

Hearing no response, the killer cocked the trigger and said, "Well then, pre….."

"Wait," a shaky voice stilled the other man's words as Joey quietly stood up and stepped slightly out of the circle.

"Mr. Wheeler," an angry and furious Roland bellowed, "what do you think you are doing? Get back in the protective zone now."

"I'm… sor…sorry, Roland," a trembling yet determined Joey replied, "but I will not let anyone else get hurt because of me." He quietly took another step toward the two assailants, when one of the other guards quickly jumped to the side and shot the assassin neighboring him. The said assassin quickly retaliated and killed the guard but could not save himself as the bullet lodged against his stomach wall.

The remaining man, the one who had spoken, quickly shot the other guard and turned toward Roland, who was now standing in front of Joey. "Mr. Wheeler, stay behind me or I'll shoot you myself," an irritated Roland snapped as he kept his gun trained on the last assassin. Professional eyes watched each other like hawks when in a move so quick which even Joey missed, the hit man shot at Roland's arm causing him to lose his gun and balance. As Roland tried to turn, another shot was fired at his right shoulder and he went down with a grunt.

A scream sprang from Joey's mouth as Roland was shot for the second time and slid to the ground. His entire body shaking, dread increasing in every step he took as he backed away from the incoming assailant. A man who had killed in cold blood and would soon kill again just for the pleasure of it. Joey's back hit the sofa, as he finally acknowledges his end.

The black metal of the Glock touched his forehead and Joey closed his eyes in despair, his final thoughts of Seto and Mokuba and how he never got to say a last goodbye.

/

In the conference room of another vague building in New York City, Seto and Mokuba Kaiba watched the proceedings happening back in Japan with horror. By the time Roland had dragged Joey to the drawing room. Seto had already contacted the police back home, his own special security and called the pilot to have the jet ready, NOW. Mokuba was crying, clutching to his brother's left leg as Seto found his own eyes glued to the screen in front of him.

_Can't break down…Can't break down…got to stay strong for Mokuba and Joey… _the mantra repeated in his head over and over again as his heart permentally lodged itself in his throat. He slid down to his knees, burying his little brother face on his shoulder and holding him tightly for whose comfort he could not tell. They sat there for what felt like days, Mokuba crying on Seto's shoulder and Seto himself just holding him and watching the screen with a dead face. No emotion, no sadness shown in his eyes. They were dead, seeing became there only function and when the metal end of the gun touched Joey's face. Kaiba's breath hitched once and then stopped altogether, his body beginning to tremble alongside his brother's. The screen went dead before the final outcome could be seen and the trembling also stopped completely. Grief overwhelmed him from all sides as he barely kept himself together.

"He's not dead! He's not dead! The screen went blank before…before… He's not dead, Mokie,"Seto's quiet mumbling became a loud bellow as he shook his brother, "Stop..Stop crying, he….he's not…," his breath hitched again as grabbed his brother from the floor and took off from the building.

/

….. hours later

Seto and Mokuba crashed against the mansion foyer with a great thud. They had broken at least a dozen air traffic laws to reach Japan as fast as they possibly could. Which for a multi-billionaire was very fast, indeed. Kaiba had been trying to reach Roland or anybody else in charge the entire flight but to his frustration and fear, was not able to.

Cops and special security were instantly silenced at the arrival of the Kaibas' brothers. Some looked pityingly while others glared with an underlying menace. The Chief of Police quickly made his way over to the brother's side as Kaiba eyes frantically roamed across the room. Before the man was able to utter a single word, a strong body hit Seto, arms wrapped themselves around his body, holding him tightly like a drowning man. A man who Seto quickly realized was his very much alive lover, Joey Wheeler.

With a great cry of relief Seto tightened his own arms around the sobbing puppy, his lips peppering Joey's face with a thousand kisses. "Thank God…thank god….

The two lovers embraced intimately as everyone left the room to give them some privacy. Mokuba who had been clutching Joey's leg the entire time was swept into the hug as the little family held each other in joy.

"How..? murmured Seto as he lovingly placed another kiss across Joey's cheek.

"Roland…saved me. He clipped…him…from behind before he could….," and once again Joey was overtaken by harsh sobs as he strangled Seto's shirt and buried his head against Mokuba shoulder.

"It's k, it's going to be all right," soothed Seto. His own mind blank with blessed relief to find his lover alive. Hands shifting through both Mokuba's and Joey's hair, he closed his eyes as the sobbing begin to slightly decrease and whispered for a final time, "Thank God".

FIN

I own nothing except my imagination.

P.S. The name Roland was borrowed from a story I read earlier. For some reason it got stuck in my mind and refused to leave. Enjoy and review!


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